The role of CKIP-1 in osteoporosis development and treatment

Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by reduced bone mass and deterioration of bone microarchitecture, which results in increased bone fragility and fracture risk. Casein kinase 2-interacting protein-1 (CKIP-1) is a protein that plays an important role in regulation of bone formation. The effect of CKIP-1 on bone formation is mainly mediated through negative regulation of the bone morphogenetic protein pathway. In addition, CKIP-1 has an important role in the progression of osteoporosis. This review provides a summary of the recent studies on the role of CKIP-1 in osteoporosis development and treatment.

Cite this article: X. Peng, X. Wu, J. Zhang, G. Zhang, G. Li, X. Pan. The role of CKIP-1 in osteoporosis development and treatment. Bone Joint Res 2018;7:173–178. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.72.BJR-2017-0172.R1.

[Isolated vertigo as the first symptom of posterior circulation infarction:reporot of 11 cases]

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with cerebellar and brainstem infarction who initially presented with isolated vertigo to avoid misdiagnosing of this disease.Method:Eleven patients with cerebellar and brainstem infarction who initially presented with isolated vertigo treated in our clinic between January 2014 and September 2017 were reviewed and the clinical characteristics and imaging presentation of the patients were evaluated.Result:Vertigo as the first attack was in 5 cases, recurrent attacks was in 6 cases,10 cases were with vascular risk factors except for 1 case, initially diagnosed as vestibular neuritis was 4 cases, Meniere's disease was 1 case, posterior circulartion ischemia was 1 case,and unknown causes was 5 cases; delayed neurological symptoms and signs occurring was 4 cases, but not in other cases; finally determined by brain MRI as acute cerebellar infarction was 5 cases, brainstem infarction was 5 cases, and concurrent cerebellar and brainstem infarction was 1 case. All patients had good prognosis.Conclusion:Isolated vertigo due to posterior circulation infarction is easy to be misdiagnosed as peripheral vertigo.Patients presenting with isolated vertigo, when with vascular risk factors, should receive MRI and DWI examinations. Properly diagnosis and treatment may lead a good prognosis.

CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 enhances the response of MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer cells to ionizing radiation

Radiation therapy (RT) is one of the primary modalities for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) treatment. However, due to the pro-metastatic potential of radiation and the intrinsic radiation resistance of some tumors, many patients experience RT failure, which leads to cancer relapse and distant metastasis. This preclinical study evaluated the efficacy of the antagonist of the SDF-1 receptor CXCR4, AMD3100, as a radiosensitizer in TNBC models. The combined effect of ionizing radiation and AMD3100 was determined in vitro by surviving fraction, cell cycle distribution, Bax and Bcl-2 expression, and apoptosis assays in a TNBC cell line (MDA-MB-231). For in vivo studies, human xenograft athymic nude mice were used. Treatment of TNBC cells with AMD3100 significantly augmented cellular radiosensitivity. Radiosensitivity was enhanced specifically through increased Bax expression, reduced Bcl-2 expression, prolonged G2-M arrest, and increased apoptosis. Combined treatment with AMD3100 and irradiation also enhanced tumor growth delay, with an enhancement factor ranging from 1.5 to 1.8. These findings support the evaluation of antagonists of the SDF-1 receptor CXCR4, such as AMD3100, as potent radiosensitizers in TNBC.

D-Meson Azimuthal Anisotropy in Midcentral Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s]_{NN}=5.02 TeV

The azimuthal anisotropy coefficient v_{2} of prompt D^{0}, D^{+}, D^{*+}, and D_{s}^{+} mesons was measured in midcentral (30%-50% centrality class) Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV, with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The D mesons were reconstructed via their hadronic decays at midrapidity, |y|<0.8, in the transverse momentum interval 1<p_{T}<24  GeV/c. The measured D-meson v_{2} has similar values as that of charged pions. The D_{s}^{+} v_{2}, measured for the first time, is found to be compatible with that of nonstrange D mesons. The measurements are compared with theoretical calculations of charm-quark transport in a hydrodynamically expanding medium and have the potential to constrain medium parameters.

Thymoquinone protects against cerebral small vessel disease: Role of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is a leading cause of progressive decline of cognition and a major risk factor for stroke. Thymoquinone (TQ) is the major biological component of Nigella sativa (N. sativa) and its extracts. We explored the possible protective effect of TQ against CSVD in strokeprone spontaneously hypertensive SHRsp rats. Morris water maze and novel object recognition tests were conducted to evaluate memory and cognitive function. mRNA expression of inflammatory factors were determined and oxidative stress was evaluated. We showed that TQ markedly decreased the level of systolic blood pressure in SHRsp rats. TQ reduced the escape latency time and the time spent in the target quadrant in the Morris water maze test in SHRsp rats. TQ also decreased the time spent with the novel object in SHRsp rats in both short- and long-term memory tests. TQ markedly increased the capacity to distinguish between familiar objects and novel objects in the SHRsp rats in the short- and long-term memory tests. The mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-6, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and cyclooxygenase-2 in the brain of SHRsp rats was remarkably decreased by TQ, indicating the reduction of inflammation. Moreover, TQ increased the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase, decreased the malondialdehyde level and increased glutathione level in the brain of SHRsp rats, indicating the attenuation of oxidative stress. In summary, we found that TQ could effectively attenuate the blood pressure and the injury of memory and cognition under the condition of CSVD. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of TQ may be responsible for its protective effect. We demonstrate that TQ is a novel candidate for the treatment of CSVD and its neurological outcome.

Abstract P1-07-31: Integrated transcriptomics analyses identify novel three microRNAs signature to predict poor prognosis and metastasis in breast cancer

Backgrounds: MicroRNA (miRNA) play a crucial role in cancer progression, and altered miRNA expression has been demonstrated to be associated with breast cancer. MiRNA is also known to be stably detectable not only in tissue but peripheral circulation; therefore it could be a feasible and potential biomarker of breast cancer in clinical settings. However, few studies have been reported to identify promising miRNA profiles as predictive biomarker using statistically satisfied large cohorts of breast cancer patients. The aim of this study is to identify miRNA signature that can predict patient survival utilizing integrated and unbiased transcriptomics analyses.

Methods: Integrated and unbiased transcriptomics approach was conducted on genomic and clinicopathological information of 2580 breast cancer patients. We utilized The cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to identify miRNA signature that could significantly associated with clinical relevance including prognosis and metastatic information, followed by validation analyses with the Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO)

Results: A novel risk scoring model including three miRNAs signature (miR-19a, miR-93, and miR-106a) was identified using Cox model. This miRNA score was able to extract the patient population with extremely poor prognosis in TCGA (5-yr overall survival rate, 49.2 %, p=0.0005). This result was validated with another three completely independent cohorts with microarray dataset accompanied with sufficient clinical information and miRNA expression (GSE19536, n=96, p=0.0009; GSE22220, n=210, p=0.0003; METABRIC, n=1223, p=0,0023). Interestingly, the subtype stratification with PAM-50 classification using bioinformatics pipeline demonstrated that this miRNA score could predict poor overall or disease-free survival especially in the population with luminal A, B or normal like subtype (p=0.0300 and p=0.0001, respectively). In addition, competing risk analysis for tumor recurrences demonstrated that the risk scoring using three miRNAs signature could be significantly associated with bone metastasis (p=0.0052). Finally, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) identified that high risk score using three miRNAs associated significantly with several critical gene sets related to metastatic formation such as angiogenesis (p &lt;0.0001), epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) (p = 0.0155), focal adhesion (p &lt;0.0001), TGF-beta signaling pathway (p = 0.0025), and ECM receptor interaction (p = 0.0068).

Conclusions: We demonstrated a promising miRNAs signature score system for predicting extremely poor prognosis and metastatic potentiality in breast cancer using novel integrated transcriptomics concept.

Citation Format: Takabe K, Kawaguchi T, Yan L, Qi Q, Peng X, Young J, Liu S. Integrated transcriptomics analyses identify novel three microRNAs signature to predict poor prognosis and metastasis in breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-07-31.

Abstract P6-06-06: Immunogenomics approach elucidating clinical significance of DNA repair genes and tumor infiltrating immune cells in breast cancer

Backgrounds: Evading the immune system is one of the Hallmarks of Cancer. Indeed, tumor infiltrating immune cells has been shown to play critical roles in suppression of cancer progression. Genetic aberration of DNA repair genes is known to increase immunogenicity in breast cancer. However, the patient survival relevance of tumor infiltrating immune cells in regard to DNA repair genes has not yet elucidated in large cohort of breast cancer patients. We hypothesized that DNA repair gene deficiency is related to increased global genomic instability that leads to increased mutation burden, which recruits infiltrating immune cells to tumor microenvironment that result in better prognosis of breast cancer.

Patients and Methods: Integrated and unbiased transcriptomics approach was conducted on genomic and clinicopathological information of 3614 breast cancer patients. We utilized The cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC) to evaluate the association between the aberration of DNA repair genes and tumor infiltrating immune cell composition in breast cancer tumors, as well as its significant clinical relevance, utilizing bioinformatics and biostatistics pipelines.

Results:Low expression level of double-strand break repair genes; BRCA1, PRKDC, and RECQL4,demonstrated significantlybetter prognosis in TCGA cohort (p=0.018, p=0.036, and p=0.0002, respectively). This result was consistent in METABRIC cohort (p=0.021, p=0.00021, and p&lt;0.000001, respectively). Utilizing CIBERSORT system that estimate the fraction of 22 immune cell types, we found that low expression of BRCA1 significantly associated with high levels of CD8 positive cell composition in both cohorts (TCGA, p=4.67E-08; METABRIC, p=0.0038), which implicate that tumor infiltrating lymphocytes are attracted to BRCA1 low expressing tumors. Further, low expression of BRCA1 showed significantly better survival in HER2 positive subtype population, but not in the other populations (TCGA, p=0.027; METABRIC, p=0.13). Finally, significantly poor prognosis was observed in breast cancers low in immune-response markers; PD-1, PD-L1, TIM3, LAG3, and CTLA4, in combination with high expression of BRCA1 (p=0.0016, p=0.0041, p=0.015, p=0.0041, and p=0.0043, respectively), which is in agreement with the dogma that intact DNA repair induce less immune-response that result is worse survival.

Conclusions: We conclude that our immunogenomics approach identify the interplay between DNA repair genes, especially gene expression of BRCA1, and tumor infiltrating immune cells, and it could have significant prognostic relevance in breast cancer.

Citation Format: Takabe K, Kawaguchi T, Yan L, Peng X, Qi Q, Okano M, Young J, Liu S. Immunogenomics approach elucidating clinical significance of DNA repair genes and tumor infiltrating immune cells in breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-06-06.

Tumour endothelial marker 1/endosialin-mediated targeting of human sarcoma

BACKGROUND

Tumour endothelial marker 1 (TEM1/endosialin/CD248) is a tumour-restricted cell-surface protein expressed by human sarcomas. We previously developed a high-affinity human single-chain variable fragment (scFv)-Fc fusion protein (78Fc) against TEM1 and demonstrated its specific binding to human and mouse TEM1.

PATIENT AND METHODS

Clinical sarcoma specimens were collected between 2000 and 2015 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, as approved by the institutional review board and processed by standard formalin-fixed paraffin embedded techniques. We analysed TEM1 expression in 19 human sarcoma subtypes (n = 203 specimens) and eight human sarcoma-cell lines. Near-infrared (NIR) imaging of tumour-bearing mice was used to validate 78Fc binding to TEM1⁺ sarcoma in vivo. Finally, we tested an immunotoxin conjugate of anti-TEM1 78Fc with saporin (78Fc-Sap) for its therapeutic efficacy against human sarcoma in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS

TEM1 expression was identified by immunohistochemistry in 96% of human sarcomas, of which 81% expressed TEM1 both on tumour cells and the tumour vasculature. NIR imaging revealed specific in vivo targeting of labelled 78Fc to TEM1⁺ sarcoma xenografts. Importantly, 78Fc-Sap was effective in killing in vitro TEM1⁺ sarcoma cells and eliminated human sarcoma xenografts without apparent toxicity in vivo.

CONCLUSION

TEM1 is an important therapeutic target for human sarcoma, and the high-affinity TEM1-specific scFv fusion protein 78Fc is suitable for further clinical development for therapeutic applications in sarcoma.

Effect of methionine deficiency on duodenal and jejunal IgA+ B cell count and immunoglobulin level of broilers

Dietary methionine (met) is reported to enhance antibody production and boost cell-mediated immunity in chickens. Methionine deficiency has been shown to affect the development of the lymphoid organs and the generation of antibodies in chickens. This study is designed to investigate the effects of met deficiency on IgA⁺ B cells and immunoglobulins (sIgA, IgA, IgG and IgM) for a 6 week period in the duodenum and jejunum of Cobb broiler chicken using immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques. The results of the study showed that the IgA⁺ B cell count reduced significantly in the met deficiency group compared to the control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The contents of sIgA, IgA, IgG and IgM in the met deficiency group were significantly decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01), especially at 28 and 42 days of age. It can be concluded that met deficiency exerts significant effects on the humoral immune system of intestinal mucosa. This study has provided valuable experimental insight which could be useful for future studies on the function of met in the intestine of humans and other animals.

[Clinical analysis of cervical lymph node metastasis of cN0 maxillary malignant tumor]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the cervical lymphatic metastasis rates of clinically negative neck lymph node (cN0) maxillary malignant tumors, to compare the cervical lymphatic metastasis rates of the various pathological types, and to provide the reference for the treatment of the neck of the patients with cN0 maxillary malignant tumor.

METHODS

The clinical data of 277 cases with cN0 maxillary malignant tumor, treated in the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery of Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology from 1990 to 2010, were reviewed. The cervical lymph node metastasis and the related clinical information were recorded. The clinical information including histopathology type of the tumors, tumor grade, primary site and TNM staging, as well as other demographic and clinical data, were retrieved from the electronic medical record system (EMRS) of the hospital. The pathogenesis of cervical lymph node metastasis in maxillary malignant tumors of different histopathological types, and the factors related to lymph node metastasis of upper cervical malignancy were analyzed by SPSS 19.0 statistical software.

RESULTS

The overall cervical lymph node metastasis rate of the 277 patients with cN0 maxillary malignant tumor was 15.5% (43/277). Maxillary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) had a strong cervical lymph node metastasis tendency and the rate was 33.0%. The overall metastatic rate of adenocarcinoma was 7.6% lower than that of SCC, and the occurrence of cervical lymph node metastasis time was relatively late, but the metastasis rate of highly malignant grade salivary gland carcinoma was significantly higher than that of intermediate and low grade carcinoma (P=0.037). The metastatic rates of some highly malignant cN0 salivary gland carcinomas including adenocarcinoma, not other specified, high-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC), and salivary duct carcinoma were exceeded 15%, while the metastasis rates of adenoid cystic carcinoma and myoepithelial carcinoma were lower. The metastasis rate of the sarcomas was very low with the rate of 4.9%.

CONCLUSION

Selective neck dissection (SND) is recommended for cN0 maxillary SCC and feasible for some highly malignant cN0 salivary gland carcinomas including adenocarcinoma, not other specified, high-grade MEC, salivary duct carcinoma. The neck can be closely observed for the patients with maxillary sarcoma.

J/ψ Elliptic Flow in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV

We report a precise measurement of the J/ψ elliptic flow in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The J/ψ mesons are reconstructed at midrapidity (|y|<0.9) in the dielectron decay channel and at forward rapidity (2.5<y<4.0) in the dimuon channel, both down to zero transverse momentum. At forward rapidity, the elliptic flow v_{2} of the J/ψ is studied as a function of the transverse momentum and centrality. A positive v_{2} is observed in the transverse momentum range 2<p_{T}<8  GeV/c in the three centrality classes studied and confirms with higher statistics our earlier results at sqrt[s_{NN}]=2.76  TeV in semicentral collisions. At midrapidity, the J/ψ  v_{2} is investigated as a function of the transverse momentum in semicentral collisions and found to be in agreement with the measurements at forward rapidity. These results are compared to transport model calculations. The comparison supports the idea that at low p_{T} the elliptic flow of the J/ψ originates from the thermalization of charm quarks in the deconfined medium but suggests that additional mechanisms might be missing in the models.

[Application of three-dimensional reconstruction of the enhanced CT with iPlan CMF software in head and neck neoplasms]

OBJECTIVE

Three-dimensional reconstruction of the enhanced CT is increasingly becoming a valuable tool in head and neck neoplasms. The aim of this study is to reconstruct three-dimensional imaging of tumor and its surrounding important anatomical structure using iPlan CMF software, and to investigate the application of three-dimensional tumor mapping technique for the diagnosis and treatment of the head and neck neoplasms.

METHODS

In the study, 13 cases with head and neck tumors in Department of Oral and Maxilloficial Surgery, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology from June 2014 to June 2015 were studied using spiral CT scanning technology based on the same scanning condition. iPlan CMF software was used to read the original CT data, and surface shaded technology was applied to reconstruct the spatial relationship of the tumor, vessel and skull. The distance between the tumor and its surrounding important anatomical structure could be measured. iPlan CMF software was also used to accomplish the virtual osteotomy to expose the tumor, vessel and skull. The preoperative preparation, operative situation and postoperative complication were reviewed.

RESULTS

In this study 6 patients were male and 7 female. The age range was from 23 to 65 years, and the median patient age was 50 years. The three-dimensional reconstruction image clearly demonstrated the extent of the tumor size, location, and the relation to its surrounding important anatomical structure. According to the three-dimensional image, the surgical risk of the patients was evaluated. The preoperative preparation and surgeries were successfully performed for 10 patients. Blood transfusion for 3 patients was considered before the surgery and actually accomplished during the operation. The operations for 2 patients were performed with the help of doctors from other departments. Only one patient had hoarseness because the tumor resulted from the pneumogastric nerves. For 10 patients, the average operation time was (202±135) min, and the average operation bleeding was (235±252) mL. The other 3 patients were not suitable cases for surgery.

CONCLUSION

The three-dimensional reconstruction of enhanced CT image with iPlan CMF software is very helpful to make the treatment plan to avoid damaging important anatomical structures and postoperative complications.

SMV1, an extremely stable thermophilic virus platform for nanoparticle trafficking in the mammalian GI tract

AIMS

Analysis of the stability and safety of Sulfolobus monocaudavirus 1 (SMV1) during passage through the mammalian GI tract.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A major challenge of using nano-vectors to target gut microbiome is their survival during passage through the extremely acidic and proteolytic environment of the mammalian GI tract. Here, we investigated the thermo-acidophilic archaeal virus SMV1 as a candidate therapeutic nano-vector for the distal mammalian GI tract microbiome. We investigated the anatomical distribution, vector stability and immunogenicity of this virus following oral ingestion in mice and compared these traits to the more classically used Inovirus vector M13KE. We found that SMV1 particles were highly stable under both simulated GI tract conditions (in vitro) and in mice (in vivo). Moreover, SMV1 could not be detected in tissues outside the GI tract and it elicited a nearly undetectable inflammatory response. Finally, we used human intestinal organoids (HIOs) to show that labelled SMV1 did not invade or otherwise perturb the human GI tract epithelium.

CONCLUSION

Sulfolobus monocaudavirus 1 appeared stable and safe during passage though the mammalian GI tract.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This is the first study evaluating an archaeal virus as a potential therapeutic nanoparticle delivery system and it opens new possibilities for future development of novel nanoplatforms.

Anomalous Evolution of the Near-Side Jet Peak Shape in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=2.76 TeV

The measurement of two-particle angular correlations is a powerful tool to study jet quenching in a p_{T} region inaccessible by direct jet identification. In these measurements pseudorapidity (Δη) and azimuthal (Δφ) differences are used to extract the shape of the near-side peak formed by particles associated with a higher p_{T} trigger particle (1<p_{T,trig}<8  GeV/c). A combined fit of the near-side peak and long-range correlations is applied to the data allowing the extraction of the centrality evolution of the peak shape in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=2.76  TeV. A significant broadening of the peak in the Δη direction at low p_{T} is found from peripheral to central collisions, which vanishes above 4  GeV/c, while in the Δφ direction the peak is almost independent of centrality. For the 10% most central collisions and 1<p_{T,assoc}<2  GeV/c, 1<p_{T,trig}<3  GeV/c a novel feature is observed: a depletion develops around the center of the peak. The results are compared to pp collisions at the same center of mass energy and ampt model simulations. The comparison to the investigated models suggests that the broadening and the development of the depletion is connected to the strength of radial and longitudinal flow.

Equalisation of leg lengths in total hip arthroplasty for patients with Crowe type-IV developmental dysplasia of the hip: classification and management

AIMS

There is no consensus about the best method of achieving equal leg lengths at total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients with Crowe type-IV developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). We reviewed our experience of a consecutive series of patients who underwent THA for this indication.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 78 patients (86 THAs) with Crowe type-IV DDH, including 64 women and 14 men, with a minimum follow-up of two years. The mean age at the time of surgery was 52.2 years (34 to 82). We subdivided Crowe type-IV DDH into two major types according to the number of dislocated hips, and further categorised them into three groups according to the occurrence of pelvic obliquity or spinal curvature. Leg length discrepancy (LLD) and functional scores were analysed.

RESULTS

Type-I included 53 patients with unilateral dislocation, in which 25 (category A) had no pelvic obliquity or spinal deformity, 19 (category B) had pelvic obliquity with a compensated spinal curvature and nine (category C) had pelvic obliquity and decompensated spinal degenerative changes. Type-II included 25 patients with one dislocated and one dysplastic hip, in which there were eight of category A, 15 of category B and two of category C. Pre-operatively, there were significant differences between the anatomical and functional LLD in type-IB (p = 0.005) and -IC (p < 0.001), but not in type-IA, -IIA or -IIB. Post-operatively, bony LLD increased significantly in types-IB, -IC and -IIB, whereas functional LLD decreased significantly in each type except for IIA. The mean functional LLD decreased from 30.7 mm (standard deviation (sd) 18.5) pre-operatively to 6.2 mm (sd 4.4) post-operatively and the mean anatomical LLD improved from 35.8 mm (sd 19.7) pre-operatively to 12.4 mm (sd 8.3) post-operatively.

CONCLUSION

Pelvic and spinal changes are common in patients with Crowe type-IV DDH and need to be taken into consideration when planning THA, in order to obtain equal leg lengths post-operatively. The principal subdivisions of Crowe type-IV DDH which we describe proved effective in achieving equal leg lengths and satisfactory outcomes. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B:872-9.

[Clinical value of fluorescence in situ hybridization positive of exfoliated urothelial cells in urothelial carcinoma]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the clinical pathologic characteristics of cases with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) positive of exfoliated urothelial cells, so as to evaluate the clinical utility of FISH in the diagnosis of urothelial carcinoma (UC).

METHODS

A total of 271 cases of FISH positive in Department of Urology of Peking University First Hospital from Apr. 2012 to Sep. 2015 were recruited in this study. Retrospective analysis was made on their clinical data. For FISH analysis, labeled probes specific for chromosomes 3, 7, 17, and the p16 (9p21) gene were used to assess chromosomal abnormalities indicative of malignancy. The positive predict values (PPV) of all the techniques were analyzed.

RESULTS

Of the 271 patients, 207 cases were UC, 7 cases were non-UC, and 57 cases were benign diseases. The PPV of FISH in detecting UC was 76.4%, while the 95% confidence interval (CI) 71.3% to 81.5%. In the cohort of FISH positive, this value was similar to that of urinary cytology (PPV 86.8%, 95% CI: 78.5%-95.0%). The PPV of FISH was lower than that of cystoscopy and ureteroscopy (PPV 96.1%, 95% CI: 91.7%-100.0%). There were significant differences between this study and the PPV of FISH reported abroad (PPV 53.9%, χ²=33.048, P<0.001). Of all the UC with FISH positive, bladder cancer showed an earlier pathological stage versus renal pelvic carcinoma and ureteral carcinoma, with significance (χ²=5.894, P=0.015, and χ²=13.601, P<0.001, respectively). However, no difference was found in the size, pathological stage and pathological grade of tumors between the urinary cytology positive group and the urinary cytology negative group. The rate of high-grade UC in ureteral carcinoma of FISH positive was 92.3%, much higher than that of ureteral carcinoma reported domestically.

CONCLUSION

The PPV of FISH in detecting UC is higher relatively, with a better clinic value for Chinese patients. The ureteral carcinoma with FISH positive obtains a higher pathological grade, which is of great guiding significance for UC.

The addition of protein-bound amino acids in low-protein diets improves the metabolic and immunological characteristics in fifteen- to thirty-five-kg pigs

This study was to evaluate the effects of supplementation of AA form (crystalline vs. protein bound) in low-protein diets on growth, metabolic, and immunological characteristics of pigs. A total of 80 barrows (PIC 327 × 1050; 15.57 ± 0.13 kg BW and 48 ± 2 d of age), housed in 4 pigs per pen with 5 pens per treatment, were assigned to 4 dietary treatments of 17, 15, and 13% CP and 13% CP plus casein for 28 d. The crystalline AA were supplemented to meet the requirement of indispensable AA in pigs. Results showed that pigs fed the 13% CP diet or the 13% CP plus casein diet had lower ( < 0.01) ADG and ADFI and a greater ( < 0.01) feed:gain ratio than pigs fed the 17% CP or 15% CP diets over the 4-wk study period. Compared with other diets, pigs fed the 13% CP diet had decreased concentrations of plasma urea nitrogen, albumin ( < 0.01), and mRNA expressions of Toll-like receptor 4 (), nuclear factor kappa B (; < 0.05), and Toll-interacting protein (; < 0.01) in the ileum and also increased activity of plasma glutamate-pyruvate transaminase ( < 0.05) and concentrations of IL-1β ( < 0.05) and tumor necrosis factor-α ( < 0.01); however, these characteristics were partly normalized by feeding the 13% CP plus casein diet. Furthermore, the plasma concentration of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1; < 0.01) and mRNA expressions of protein kinase B (), mammalian target of rapamycin (), and ribosomal protein S6 kinase () in longissimus muscle were increased ( < 0.05) in pigs fed the 13% CP plus casein diet relative to pigs fed the 17% CP or 15% CP diets. In summary, reducing dietary CP level from 17% to 15% had no effect on growth, metabolic, and immunological characteristics of 15- to 35-kg pigs. A further reduction of dietary CP level up to 13% would lead to poor growth performance, but metabolic and immunological characteristics were partly normalized using protein-bound AA to replace synthesized AA in the 13% CP diet.

Energy dependence of forward-rapidity [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] production in pp collisions at the LHC

We present results on transverse momentum ([Formula: see text]) and rapidity ([Formula: see text]) differential production cross sections, mean transverse momentum and mean transverse momentum square of inclusive [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] at forward rapidity ([Formula: see text]) as well as [Formula: see text]-to-[Formula: see text] cross section ratios. These quantities are measured in pp collisions at center of mass energies [Formula: see text] and 13 TeV with the ALICE detector. Both charmonium states are reconstructed in the dimuon decay channel, using the muon spectrometer. A comprehensive comparison to inclusive charmonium cross sections measured at [Formula: see text], 7 and 8 TeV is performed. A comparison to non-relativistic quantum chromodynamics and fixed-order next-to-leading logarithm calculations, which describe prompt and non-prompt charmonium production respectively, is also presented. A good description of the data is obtained over the full [Formula: see text] range, provided that both contributions are summed. In particular, it is found that for [Formula: see text] GeV/c the non-prompt contribution reaches up to 50% of the total charmonium yield.

Production of Σ(1385)± and Ξ(1530)0 in p-Pb collisions at sNN=5.02 TeV

The transverse momentum distributions of the strange and double-strange hyperon resonances (Σ ( 1385 ) ± , Ξ ( 1530 ) 0 ) produced in p-Pb collisions at s NN = 5.02 TeV were measured in the rapidity range - 0.5 < y CMS < 0 for event classes corresponding to different charged-particle multiplicity densities, ⟨ dN ch /dη lab ⟩ . The mean transverse momentum values are presented as a function of ⟨ dN ch /dη lab ⟩ , as well as a function of the particle masses and compared with previous results on hyperon production. The integrated yield ratios of excited to ground-state hyperons are constant as a function of ⟨ dN ch /dη lab ⟩ . The equivalent ratios to pions exhibit an increase with ⟨ dN ch /dη lab ⟩ , depending on their strangeness content.

Production of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] mesons up to high transverse momentum in pp collisions at 2.76 TeV

The invariant differential cross sections for inclusive [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] mesons at midrapidity were measured in pp collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV for transverse momenta [Formula: see text] GeV/c and [Formula: see text] GeV/c, respectively, using the ALICE detector. This large range in [Formula: see text] was achieved by combining various analysis techniques and different triggers involving the electromagnetic calorimeter (EMCal). In particular, a new single-cluster, shower-shape based method was developed for the identification of high-[Formula: see text] neutral pions, which exploits that the showers originating from their decay photons overlap in the EMCal. Above 4 GeV/[Formula: see text], the measured cross sections are found to exhibit a similar power-law behavior with an exponent of about 6.3. Next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD calculations differ from the measured cross sections by about 30% for the [Formula: see text], and between 30-50% for the [Formula: see text] meson, while generator-level simulations with PYTHIA 8.2 describe the data to better than 10-30%, except at [Formula: see text] GeV/[Formula: see text]. The new data can therefore be used to further improve the theoretical description of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] meson production.

Systems genetic and pharmacological analysis identifies candidate genes underlying mechanosensation in the von Frey test

Mechanical sensitivity is commonly affected in chronic pain and other neurological disorders. To discover mechanisms of individual differences in punctate mechanosensation, we performed quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping of the response to von Frey monofilament stimulation in BXD recombinant inbred (BXD) mice. Significant loci were detected on mouse chromosome (Chr) 5 and 15, indicating the location of underlying polymorphisms that cause heritable variation in von Frey response. Convergent evidence from public gene expression data implicates candidate genes within the loci: von Frey thresholds were strongly correlated with baseline expression of Cacna2d1, Ift27 and Csnk1e in multiple brain regions of BXD strains. Systemic gabapentin and PF-670462, which target the protein products of Cacna2d1 and Csnk1e, respectively, significantly increased von Frey thresholds in a genotype-dependent manner in progenitors and BXD strains. Real-time polymerase chain reaction confirmed differential expression of Cacna2d1 and Csnk1e in multiple brain regions in progenitors and showed differential expression of Cacna2d1 and Csnk1e in the dorsal root ganglia of the progenitors and BXD strains grouped by QTL genotype. Thus, linkage mapping, transcript covariance and pharmacological testing suggest that genetic variation affecting Cacna2d1 and Csnk1e may contribute to individual differences in von Frey filament response. This study implicates Cacna2d1 and Ift27 in basal mechanosensation in line with their previously suspected role in mechanical hypersensitivity. Csnk1e is implicated for von Frey response for the first time. Further investigation is warranted to identify the specific polymorphisms involved and assess the relevance of these findings to clinical conditions of disturbed mechanosensation.

[Significance of the seated supine positioning nystagmus for the diagnosis of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo]

Objective:To observe and assess the significance of seated supine positioning nystagmus (SSPN) in the diagnosis of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo(BPPV).Method:Two hundreds patients who were diagnosed BPPV were tested with the seated supine positioning test(SSPT) to observe SSPN,then were tested Supine roll test(SRT) and Dix-Hallpike test(DHT). According to the result of SRT and DHT,patients were divided into different groups. The positive rate and feature of SSPN in different types of BPPV was analyzed.Result:Among the 200 patients,116 cases(58.0%) of them showed SSPN. Among the 116 cases who were divided to the posterior semicircular canal BPPV(PSC-BPPV) group,72 cases of them showed SSPN. Horizontal semicircular canal BPPV(HSC-BPPV) group were 60 cases,44 cases showed SSPN. Anterior semicircular canal BPPV(ASC-BPPV) group were 4 cases and none of them showed SSPN. The direction of SSPN was a combination of torsional nystagmus with the upper pole of the eyes beating toward the affected side combined with vertical nystagmus beating upward (toward the forehead) typically in the PSC-BPPV group. Canalolithiasis of HSC were 41 cases,and 28 cases showed SSPN,and SSPN was contralesional in 22 cases(78.6%) and ipsilesional in 6 cases. Cupulolithiasis of HSC were 19 cases and 16 cases showed SSPN,and SSPN was ipsilesional in 16 cases.Conclusion:Significance of the seated supine positioning nystagmus in different types of BPPV is different.

Flow Dominance and Factorization of Transverse Momentum Correlations in Pb-Pb Collisions at the LHC

We present the first measurement of the two-particle transverse momentum differential correlation function, P_{2}≡⟨Δp_{T}Δp_{T}⟩/⟨p_{T}⟩^{2}, in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=2.76  TeV. Results for P_{2} are reported as a function of the relative pseudorapidity (Δη) and azimuthal angle (Δφ) between two particles for different collision centralities. The Δϕ dependence is found to be largely independent of Δη for |Δη|≥0.9. In the 5% most central Pb-Pb collisions, the two-particle transverse momentum correlation function exhibits a clear double-hump structure around Δφ=π (i.e., on the away side), which is not observed in number correlations in the same centrality range, and thus provides an indication of the dominance of triangular flow in this collision centrality. Fourier decompositions of P_{2}, studied as a function of the collision centrality, show that correlations at |Δη|≥0.9 can be well reproduced by a flow ansatz based on the notion that measured transverse momentum correlations are strictly determined by the collective motion of the system.

Measurement of azimuthal correlations of D mesons with charged particles in pp collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV and p-Pb collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV

The azimuthal correlations of D mesons with charged particles were measured with the ALICE apparatus in pp collisions at [Formula: see text] and p-Pb collisions at [Formula: see text] at the Large Hadron Collider. [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] mesons and their charge conjugates with transverse momentum [Formula: see text] and rapidity in the nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass system [Formula: see text] (pp collisions) and [Formula: see text] (p-Pb collisions) were correlated to charged particles with [Formula: see text]. The yield of charged particles in the correlation peak induced by the jet containing the D meson and the peak width are compatible within uncertainties in the two collision systems. The data are described within uncertainties by Monte-Carlo simulations based on PYTHIA, POWHEG, and EPOS 3 event generators.

Inhibition of DNA2 nuclease as a therapeutic strategy targeting replication stress in cancer cells

Replication stress is a characteristic feature of cancer cells, which is resulted from sustained proliferative signaling induced by activation of oncogenes or loss of tumor suppressors. In cancer cells, oncogene-induced replication stress manifests as replication-associated lesions, predominantly double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs). An essential mechanism utilized by cells to repair replication-associated DSBs is homologous recombination (HR). In order to overcome replication stress and survive, cancer cells often require enhanced HR repair capacity. Therefore, the key link between HR repair and cellular tolerance to replication-associated DSBs provides us with a mechanistic rationale for exploiting synthetic lethality between HR repair inhibition and replication stress. DNA2 nuclease is an evolutionarily conserved essential enzyme in replication and HR repair. Here we demonstrate that DNA2 is overexpressed in pancreatic cancers, one of the deadliest and more aggressive forms of human cancers, where mutations in the KRAS are present in 90–95% of cases. In addition, depletion of DNA2 significantly reduces pancreatic cancer cell survival and xenograft tumor growth, suggesting the therapeutic potential of DNA2 inhibition. Finally, we develop a robust high-throughput biochemistry assay to screen for inhibitors of the DNA2 nuclease activity. The top inhibitors were shown to be efficacious against both yeast Dna2 and human DNA2. Treatment of cancer cells with DNA2 inhibitors recapitulates phenotypes observed upon DNA2 depletion, including decreased DNA double strand break end resection and attenuation of HR repair. Similar to genetic ablation of DNA2, chemical inhibition of DNA2 selectively attenuates the growth of various cancer cells with oncogene-induced replication stress. Taken together, our findings open a new avenue to develop a new class of anticancer drugs by targeting druggable nuclease DNA2. We propose DNA2 inhibition as new strategy in cancer therapy by targeting replication stress, a molecular property of cancer cells that is acquired as a result of oncogene activation instead of targeting currently undruggable oncoprotein itself such as KRAS.

[Surgical reconstruction of maxillary defects using a computer-assisted techniques]

The maxilla is the most important bony support of the mid-face skeleton and is critical for both esthetics and function. Maxillary defects, resulting from tumor resection, can cause severe functional and cosmetic deformities. Furthermore, maxillary reconstruction presents a great challenge for oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Nowadays, vascularized composite bone flap transfer has been widely used for functional maxillary reconstruction. In the last decade, we have performed a comprehensive research on functional maxillary reconstruction with free fibula flap and reported excellent functional and acceptable esthetic results. However, this experience based clinical procedure still remainssome problems in accuracy and efficiency. In recent years, computer assisted techniques are now widely used in oral and maxillofacial surgery. We have performed a series of study on maxillary reconstruction with computer assisted techniques. The computer assisted techniques used for maxillary reconstruction mainly include: (1) Three dimensional (3D) reconstruction and tumor mapping: providing a 3D view of maxillary tumor and adjacent structures and helping to make the diagnosis of maxillary tumor accurate and objective; (2) Virtual planning: simulating tumor resection and maxillectomy as well as fibula reconstruction on the computer, so that to make an ideal surgical plan; (3) 3D printing: producing a 3D stereo model for prebending individualized titanium mesh and also providing template or cutting guide for the surgery; (4) Surgical navigation: the bridge between virtual plan and real surgery, confirming the virtual plan during the surgery and guarantee the accuracy; (5) Computer assisted analyzing and evaluating: making a quantitative and objective of the final result and evaluating the outcome. We also performed a series of studies to evaluate the application of computer assisted techniques used for maxillary reconstruction, including: (1) 3D tumor mapping technique for accurate diagnosis and treatment of maxillary tumor; (2) Maxillary reconstruction with free fibula flap used computer assisted techniques; (3) Computer assisted orbital floor reconstruction after maxillectomy. The results suggested that computer assisted techniques could significantly improve the clinical outcome of maxillary reconstruction.

Celastrol, an active constituent of the TCM plant Tripterygium wilfordii Hook.f., inhibits prostate cancer bone metastasis

BACKGROUND

Treatment failure of prostate cancer (PCa) is often due to bone metastasis. Celastrol, an active constituent of Tripterygium wilfordii roots, has shown anti-tumor effects in previous studies in accordance with its indication in traditional Chinese medicine.

METHODS

Using a PC-3 cell model, in vitro assays were performed to evaluate the effects of celastrol on proliferation, migration (wound healing assay), tissues invasion (Transwell-Matrigel penetration assay) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). An intra-tibia injection mouse model was used to assess the effect of celastrol on PCa bone metastasis in vivo.

RESULTS

Pretreatment with celastrol significantly reduced proliferation of PC-3 cells in a dose-dependent manner and cell migration was much slower than in controls. Significantly fewer cells penetrated the gel-membrane after celastrol administration and their skeletal invasive ability was significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner. Correspondingly, a significant, dose-dependent decrease in VEGF secretion was observed. In the in vivo mouse model, pretreatment with celastrol (8 μmol l^-1) inhibited the tumorigenicity of PC-3 cells so that almost no bone invasion occurred as compared with control injections. Histological examinations using hematoxylin and eosin staining showed that tibiae injected with celastrol pretreated PC-3 cells retained their natural bone structure.

CONCLUSIONS

Celastrol may have preventive potential against PCa bone metastasis.

Family member-based supervision of patients with hypertension: a cluster randomized trial in rural China

Empirical evidence has suggested that social support from family can help patients take their medicines correctly. This study aims to evaluate the role of a family member-based supervision package in the management of hypertension using a cluster randomized trial in rural China. We recruited patients with hypertension from four villages in Yangzhong and randomly allocated them to the control group (n=288) and the intervention group (n=266). A family member-based supervision package was applied to the intervention group, while the usual service was applied to the controls. Patients were followed for 12 months and completed face-to-face interviews at the end of 6 and 12 months. The primary outcomes were patients' medication adherence and frequency of blood pressure measurement. Secondary outcomes included changes in blood pressure, altered risk behaviours and occurrence of hypertension-related complications. To control for the effects of cluster randomization, multilevel mixed-effects regression models were used to compare group changes. We observed that the intervention improved patients' blood pressure measurement frequency (OR: 9.00, 95% CI: 4.52-17.91) and adherence to antihypertensive treatment (OR: 1.74, 95% CI: 0.91-3.32). Its effect on the blood pressure control rate was significant at the mid-term investigation (OR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.40-0.93), but the long-term effect was not significant (OR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.64-1.26). After 6 months of intervention, either systolic or diastolic blood pressure was significantly decreased in the intervention group. However, this difference was not significant at the final investigation. Findings from this study revealed that the family member-based supervised therapy may have positive effects on patients' adherence to blood monitoring and hypertensive medications.

Differential diagnosis of IgG4-related sialadenitis, primary Sjögren syndrome, and chronic obstructive submandibular sialadenitis

Our aim was to differentiate IgG4-related sialadenitis, primary Sjögren syndrome, and chronic obstructive submandibular sialadenitis by analysing clinical, radiographic, and pathological features. Fifty-five patients, 50, and 50 were enrolled, respectively and their baseline characteristics and serological, sialographic, and pathological findings compared. The male:female ratio for IgG4-related sialadenitis was 1:1.2 for primary Sjögren syndrome 1:15.7, and for chronic obstructive submandibular sialadenitis1:0.92. Numbers with enlarged salivary glands were 55, 16, and 50; with xerostomia 26, 48, and 0; with a history of allergy 26, 4, and 6, and with coexisting systemic disease 12, 19, and 0 (p=0.14). Mean (SD) serum IgG4 concentrations were 109.1 (97.9), 4.9. (1.9) g/L, and 5.3 (1.6) g/L, p<0.001 in all cases. Sialography showed enlargement of the gland, dilatation of the duct, and slightly decreased secretory function in IgG4-related disease; obvious sialectasia and decreased secretory function in Sjögren syndrome; and dilatation of Wharton's duct and filling defects in obstructive sialadenitis. Histopathological examination showed lymphoplasmacytic infiltration with storiform fibrosis, lymphoplasmacytic inflammation and lymphoepithelial lesions, and dilatation of the duct with epithelial metaplasia in the three groups, respectively. The number of IgG4-positive plasma cells was 123 (45)/HPF, 8 (3)/HPF, and 5 (4)/HPF, while the IgG4-/IgG-positive cell ratio was 71.7 (13.9)%, 4.6 (2.5)%, 18.9 (19.7)%, respectively (p<0.001). The three conditions have different clinical, radiographic, and pathological features that provide important clues to the differential diagnosis. Serological and histological tests are important, and comprehensive consideration is necessary.

Elimination of blinding trachoma in China

OBJECTIVE

To present the change in the prevalence of blindness caused by trachoma between 1987 and 2006 by secondary data analysis based on two China National Sample Surveys on Disability (CNSSD).

METHODS

Secondary data analysis was performed on two China National Sample Surveys on Disability (CNSSD), which were national representative household surveys conducted in 1987 and 2006. The prevalence of blindness caused by trachoma was estimated by 10-year age group. In addition, the proportion of various causes of blindness was evaluated. The geographical distribution of blindness caused by trachoma both in 1987 and 2006 was analyzed in order to visualize the hot spots of blinding trachoma in China.

RESULTS

The prevalence of blindness caused by trachoma in China decreased from 51.5/100,000 in 1987 to 17.6/100,000 in 2006. In addition, the proportion of blindness attributed to trachoma also decreased from 10.1% (1987) to 0.9% (2006). Moreover, the prevalence of blindness caused by trachoma was over 200/100,000 in 2.2% of sampled counties in 2006 as compared to 8.6% in 1987. The hot spots of blinding trachoma were shown to be limited to underdeveloped mountain areas in Hubei and Guizhou provinces.

CONCLUSION

Although blinding trachoma is no longer the leading cause of blindness in China since the 2000's, the prevalence of trachoma should still be monitored in some underdeveloped mountain areas. Therefore, health organization must continue to fight against blinding trachoma in underdeveloped areas.

Correlated Event-by-Event Fluctuations of Flow Harmonics in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=2.76 TeV

We report the measurements of correlations between event-by-event fluctuations of amplitudes of anisotropic flow harmonics in nucleus-nucleus collisions, obtained for the first time using a new analysis method based on multiparticle cumulants in mixed harmonics. This novel method is robust against systematic biases originating from nonflow effects and by construction any dependence on symmetry planes is eliminated. We demonstrate that correlations of flow harmonics exhibit a better sensitivity to medium properties than the individual flow harmonics. The new measurements are performed in Pb-Pb collisions at the center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of sqrt[s_{NN}]=2.76  TeV by the ALICE experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. The centrality dependence of correlation between event-by-event fluctuations of the elliptic v_{2} and quadrangular v_{4} flow harmonics, as well as of anticorrelation between v_{2} and triangular v_{3} flow harmonics are presented. The results cover two different regimes of the initial state configurations: geometry dominated (in midcentral collisions) and fluctuation dominated (in the most central collisions). Comparisons are made to predictions from Monte Carlo Glauber, viscous hydrodynamics, ampt, and hijing models. Together with the existing measurements of the individual flow harmonics the presented results provide further constraints on the initial conditions and the transport properties of the system produced in heavy-ion collisions.